The present invention relates to the field of disposable containers for liquids or semi-liquids, particularly to drinking cups, and more particularly to non-spilling containers with a dome-shaped cover preferably having a plurality of drink-through openings.
A myriad of beverage containers with drink-through covers, or lids, are known in the art. Indeed, non-spilling beverage containers with drink-through lid have changed morning commuting habits significantly. Some of these containers have included small, tear away portions of the lid, which made stacking cups difficult; created a disposal problem with the removed tab; and, in some instances, often destroyed the integrity of the peripheral curl locking means that affixes the lid securely to the container. See, e.g., Winstead (U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,096) and Scattaregia (U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,865).
Other containers have included lids with hinged tabs that rotate generally up and outward from the drinking container, which eliminated the short term tab disposal problem, but some embodiments also destroyed the integrity of the peripheral curl locking means and, depending on the size of the hinged tab, also made stacking cups difficult. See, e.g., DeParales (U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,373).
Still other containers have lids with hinged tabs that rotate generally down and inward towards the drinking container, most of which eliminated the problem associated with destroying the integrity of peripheral curl but, here again, depending on the size of the opening, stacking cups remained difficult. See, e.g., Erdman (U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,794), Yamazaki (U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,135), Dart et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,214) and Clements (U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,459).
Further, there are other containers that have lids with depressible tabs or protrusions which, when a force is applied thereto, are progressively ruptured, thereby opening a plurality of slits through which a beverage can flow. See, e.g., Sherlock (U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,668), Edwards (U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,746) and Herbst. et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,299). Although each of these inventions and a host of others have had an overall effect of improving the design of disposable drinking containers, there remains a need for a drinking container with a drink-through lid for the new millennium.
The present invention provides a drinking container and a lid. The lid is formed from a polymer resin as a dome-shaped structure having a peripheral rim curl for locking to a container and one or more tabular hinged drinking regions through which fluid can flow when the lid is fixed to the top of a container and the region is depressed thereon. The structure of the lid preferably is formed to provide a support region having sufficient strength to hold the weight of a filled container without buckling.
Each tabular hinged drinking region comprises a substantially planar or tangentially rounded raised area extending radially from a central area, or hub, of the lid toward the periphery of the lid. Near the central area, the raised area forms a hinge with the dome-shaped lid. As the raised area extends radially, vertical sidewalls with a length increasing with the radius join the raised area with the dome-shaped lid. A vertical end wall also connects the raised end of the raised area with the dome-shaped lid. By pressing down on the hinged drinking region, the raised area is at least partially inverted with respect to the dome-shaped structure and slits are formed in the lid that permit fluid to pass through for drinking. Preferably, the depressed hinged drinking region is self-locking.
The container comprises a rolled rim or other configuration for attaching the lid thereto and a pair of tactile comfort strips for orienting the container for optimal use. Preferably, the comfort strips are diametrically opposed to one another on the container. Furthermore, preferably, the comfort strips are formed as a pair of insulating comfort strips. The, e.g., diametrically opposing, comfort strips can be the focus of the strength and mass of the container. Indeed, conventional containers typically are fabricated from a ream cup stock with a 55 to 60 pound density, i.e., 55 to 60 pounds of fiber per 1,000 square feet. By concentrating the strength and mass of the container at the comfort strips, fiber density can be reduced to about 50 or less, which can reduce the cost of materials and also can reduce the environmental impact associated with disposal of the containers.
The dome-shaped, drink-through lid that is attached to the container comprises a plurality of depressible hinged tabular regions. Thus, a depressible hinged tabular region is always positioned in a suitable position relative to the comfort strips for easy drinking. The plurality of drink-through openings enables a lid to be placed on a drinking container in any manner, ensuring that at least one drink-through opening is properly aligned with the comfort strips to provide optimal drinking conditions without having to rotate the lid to align the opening with a comfort strip. The hinged tabular region can be depressed readily with a small amount of pressure exerted, e.g., by a finger tip, to form a passage for a fluid, which permits drinking of the fluid in the container without affecting deleteriously the integrity of the peripheral curl locking rim. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a drink-through lid for a disposable beverage container that can be substantially non-spillable. Preferably, the drinking container provides comfort strips to insulate the fingers and thumb of the holder from the extreme temperatures of the beverage contained therein and, more importantly, to be the focal point of the mass and strength of the container. The drink-through lid for the beverage container can be opened easily, e.g., with the index finger of the hand that is simultaneously holding the drinking container.
In preferred embodiments, lids in accord with the present invention provide a drinking container that can support one or more additional filled drinking containers for easier carrying. The lid not only makes stacking cups easier, but also can be stronger, allowing more filled cups in a single stack. An added feature can include providing a lid that can also be used as a coaster.